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<title>The Story Behind my Son’s Scar by ThePinkTeenager</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29208738">The Story Behind my Son’s Scar</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePinkTeenager/pseuds/ThePinkTeenager'>ThePinkTeenager</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Avatar State, Avatar Zuko (Avatar), Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Past Child Abuse, Zuko's Scar (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:00:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>877</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29208738</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePinkTeenager/pseuds/ThePinkTeenager</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko tells his waterbending (yes, waterbending) teacher how he got his scar. Unfortunately, his waterbending teacher is technically his mother. </p><p> </p><p>  <b>Contains descriptions of child abuse and serious injury.<b></b></b></p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ozai &amp; Zuko (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort Prompts, Gen and Aro Prompts (Any fandom)</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Story Behind my Son’s Scar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">



        <li>In response to a prompt by
            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/himynameisv/pseuds/himynameisv">himynameisv</a>  in the  <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/GenAndAroPrompts">GenAndAroPrompts</a>
          collection.
        </li>
    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <strong>Prompt 1:</strong>
</p><p>Someone says “You do know I love you” or any confession of love, but in a platonic way. Do whatever you want with this one.</p><p>
  <strong>Prompt 2:</strong>
</p><p>Somehow, Person A finds out that Person B was a victim of child abuse—whether that be physical/verbal/mental abuse, neglect, etc—and Person A comforts Person B about it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     The stream of water was quickly approaching Zuko, but he caught it and bended it away from him. </p><p>     “You’re getting good.” said Suri, the woman who’d thrown the stream. </p><p>     Zuko was a firebender; waterbending did not come naturally to him. In fact, Suri had spent a lot of time and effort trying to teach him, going as far as pushing him into a lake. Now he could do basic waterbending and would soon learn more advanced moves. </p><p>     Another stream whizzed past Zuko, brushing against the left side of his face. The left side of his face. Immediately, he closed his eyes and winced. The skin around his left eye burned. Zuko yelped and fell backwards onto the ground. </p><p>     His teacher ran toward him. “I’m so sorry.” she said. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” </p><p>     “It wasn’t you.” said Zuko, still shaken. </p><p>     Suri was puzzled by that statement. “What do you mean?” she asked. </p><p>     Zuko took a breath. “You didn’t hurt me.” he said. “Someone else did.” </p><p>     Suri kneeled on the ground and looked closely at his face. Zuko could see her, though his vision in that eye wasn’t great. She just stared at it for a few minutes. Then her expression turned to something akin to horror. </p><p>     “What did he do to you?” she asked. </p><p>     “Do you really want to know?” he asked. </p><p>     “Well, yes, but you don’t have to tell me.” she said. </p><p>     Zuko didn’t really want to talk about one of the worst moments of his life, but he didn’t want to keep it a secret from her, either. He also knew that not talking about it wouldn’t make it go away. </p><p>     “You should know this.” he said, and took a deep breath. </p><p>     “I was thirteen.” he started. “I wanted to go to a war meeting. I wasn’t supposed to speak, but I did. I spoke because I was a dumbass who thought morality was more important than honor.” </p><p>     Suri didn’t think that was dumb, but she knew how important honor was in the Fire Nation. After all, she grew up there. </p><p>     Zuko kept talking. “Since I disrespected the general, I had to fight in an Agni Kai. The thing was, I wasn’t fighting the general. I was fighting... my father.” </p><p>     “Fire Lord Ozai?” asked Suri in shock. </p><p>     Zuko nodded. </p><p>     Suri knew the Fire Lord- in fact, he was her ex-husband. She knew that he was the greatest  firebender in the world. He could also be cruel- when he learned Suri was a waterbender, he banished her and erased her name from the official records. She’d been forced to leave her infant son with him. </p><p>     That son was now sitting in front of her. </p><p>     “I refused to fight.” said Zuko, continuing his story. “I kneeled in front of my father, begging for forgiveness. Then... then...” Zuko started to cry. Instinctively, Suri put her hand on his shoulder. </p><p>     “He burned it.” said Zuko. “He pressed the flame to my face. I closed my eyes, but I could still feel it.” Zuko was choking out the words. “Everything from my forehead to my cheek burned. I screamed. I...” Zuko burst into tears. </p><p>     Suri scooted closer and wrapped her arms around the boy in a hug. She felt his warmth through their clothes. She felt him shaking with the sobs. </p><p>     Under normal circumstances, Zuko would be beyond embarrassed to be in this situation, but he didn’t move away. </p><p>     Suri herself felt awful. It was bad enough that a kid had to go through something like this. Even worse, this wasn’t any kid; this was her <em>son</em>. She was supposed to protect him, but she didn’t. The boy was attacked by his own father and Suri wasn’t there to stop it. </p><p>     “I’m sorry.” she said. “I’m so sorry for leaving you. I never wanted to leave you, but I had no choice. There was no way I could take you with me when I was banished.” </p><p>     Zuko was silent for a minute. “He would’ve burned you, too.” he said. Suri wanted to counter him, but deep down, she knew he had a point. </p><p>     “I know I wasn’t there before, but I’m here now.” she said, stroking his back. “And you know I love you, right?” </p><p>     Zuko froze. Suri had a feeling that he didn’t hear that sentence often. After a few minutes, he nodded slowly. </p><p>     “There’s only one thing I don’t understand.” she said. “If you don’t mind me asking.” </p><p>     “I don’t.” said Zuko, slowly pulling away from her. </p><p>     “Why didn’t you go into the Avatar State during the Agni Kai?”</p><p>     Zuko closed his eyes and winced. “I did.” he said eventually. “My eyes were closed and I didn’t bend anything except fire, so they didn’t notice.” </p><p>     So he did remember what happened when he was in the Avatar State. </p><p>     “Hey,” said Toph, “I hate to interrupt your little talk, but it’s dinner time. Katara and I cooked it while you were, uh, training.” </p><p>     “Thanks.” said Suri. She had a feeling Toph didn’t believe that they were actually training, but whatever. </p><p>     She and Zuko needed to have that talk. It would make everything between them easier going forward. She wished Ozai hadn’t burned their son, but none of them could change the past. They could only change the future. </p>
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